Happy Meatless Monday!  As you may or may not know, Planet Forward supports the Meatless Monday campaign – a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  It’s part of an eco-friendly worldwide movement to reduce consumption of animal products in favour of more plant-based meals to fight global warming and improve our personal health.  This week we bring another vegetarian recipe for you to try.

Beans are a staple for vegetarians as they are a healthy (and fat-free) source of protein and carbohydrates.  Plus they are more familiar to flexitarians and other non-full-time vegetarians than tofu, tempeh and seitan.  Our hearty lentil soup recipe can be made ahead of time and you can even freeze it (in an air-tight container) if you make too much.  I am a huge soup fan especially during the long-cold Canadian winter and this is one of my favourites.

Hearty Lentil Soup - serves 4 people as a main course with a salad and bread (gluten-free ideally but whole-wheat/grain is good too)

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot sliced
• 2 stalks of celery diced
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup dry lentils
• 2 bay leaves
• Salt/pepper to taste (if needed)
• Tabasco Hot sauce (optional and to taste)

Preparation:
In a large pot, sautee onions, celery and carrot in the vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until onions are transparent.  Add the vegetable broth, lentils, bay leaves and salt/pepper (if needed).

Reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until lentils are soft, about 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves and stir in hot sauce (if desired) and that’s it.  Easy-peasy.  Serve with a side salad and fresh bread to round off a great and satisfying meal.

Don’t forget - to join the movement, sign up online by going to your local Meatless Monday site or you can go here http://www.meatlessmonday.com/ to learn more.   If this Monday passed you by, next week is another chance to go meatless – it’s only one day for an eco-friendly cause.  Join us. 

Bon (vegetarian) Appetit!

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Tags: Climate Change, Eco Friendly, eco-vegetarianism, environmental impact, Global Warming, greenhouse gases, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Lentil Soup, Lentil Soup Recipe, Meatless Monday, Meatless Mondays, planet forward, reduce consumption, sustainable choices, sustainable lifestyle, Vegetarian, vegetarian recipe, vegetarian recipes, vegetarian tips

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